Word has it that Rebecca Ferguson, the lead of the BBC series The White Queen has taken a key role in the next chapter of the Mission: Impossible blockbuster franchise. Apparently, the lead female role was first offered to Jessica Chastain, who passed on the chance to be Tom Cruise's new leading lady.

Ferguson, who was born in Sweden, made her English language debut playing Queen Elizabeth in the aforementioned The White Queen. She starred in 10 episodes last year, but her sights are set for Hollywood. Among her upcoming projects is a film alongside Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in Brett Ratner's Hercules, which will be released later this month on July 25. She also has a role in the Cold War thriller Despite the Falling Snow, which is set to be directed by Shamim Sharif, and will have her star alongside Game of Thrones actor Charles Dance.

Meanwhile, Deadline reports that Alec Baldwin has taken on a significant role in Mission: Impossible 5. Baldwin will be playing the head of the CIA, who is in charge of overseeing Ethan Hunt's (Tom Cruise) IMF operations on high. No plot details are being shared for the upcoming blockbuster, but speculation that Baldwin has gotten a role that has "traitor" or "mole" written all over it are rampant on fan forums.

Mission: Impossible 5 will be directed by Christopher McQuarrie and based on a script by Drew Pearce. The movie is also expected to bring back the stars from Mission: Impossible- Ghost Protocol which includes Tom Cruise, Paula Patton, Jeremy Renner, and Simon Pegg.